Many people worry about cancer, heart disease, or dementia as they grow older.
Far fewer think about their kidneys. Yet a major new global study suggests that chronic kidney disease is becoming one of the most important health threats of the twenty-first century.
Research published in The Lancet found that the number of people living with chronic kidney disease has more than doubled over the last three decades. In 1990, researchers estimated that 378 million people were affected. By 2023, that number had climbed to 788 million. The condition has now become one of the world’s leading causes of death.
The investigation was conducted by scientists from NYU Langone Health, the University of Glasgow, and the Institute for Health Metrics and Evaluation at the University of Washington. Their goal was to understand how kidney disease is affecting populations around the world and how its impact has changed over time.
The kidneys are among the body’s most important organs. Every day they filter large amounts of blood, removing waste products and excess water while helping regulate blood pressure and maintaining healthy chemical balances.
When kidney function begins to decline, the body may continue functioning normally for years. This hidden progression means many people do not know they have kidney disease until substantial damage has already occurred.
To build a global picture, researchers reviewed more than two thousand scientific papers and national health databases from 133 countries. The study formed part of the Global Burden of Disease 2023 project, one of the largest efforts ever undertaken to track diseases worldwide.
Their findings showed that about 14 percent of adults are now living with chronic kidney disease. In 2023 alone, approximately 1.5 million deaths were linked directly to the condition. The disease has become so widespread that global health experts now consider it a major public health priority.
One reason kidney disease is so dangerous is its connection with other illnesses. The study found that poor kidney function greatly increases the risk of cardiovascular disease.
In fact, researchers estimated that kidney impairment contributed to roughly one in eight cardiovascular deaths worldwide. This means protecting kidney health may also help reduce deaths from heart-related conditions.
The report identified several major risk factors. Diabetes was one of the strongest contributors because high blood sugar can gradually damage the tiny blood vessels inside the kidneys.
High blood pressure creates additional strain on these organs, while obesity increases the risk even further. Together, these conditions are becoming more common worldwide, helping explain the steady rise in kidney disease.
The researchers emphasized that early diagnosis can make a major difference. Many people in the study were still in the early stages of kidney disease, when treatment is often most effective. Doctors can use simple urine and blood tests to detect problems before symptoms appear.
Once identified, patients may benefit from lifestyle changes, improved blood pressure control, and newer medications designed to protect kidney function.
However, healthcare access remains a major challenge. In many low-income countries, patients have limited access to kidney testing, specialist care, dialysis, or transplantation. As a result, many cases go undiagnosed and untreated. This inequality contributes to worse outcomes in some regions of the world.
Recent advances offer reasons for optimism. New classes of medications have shown the ability to slow kidney disease progression and reduce the risk of heart complications. Medical guidelines continue to evolve as researchers learn more about how to protect kidney health.
The growing attention from global health organizations reflects a shift in thinking. Kidney disease is no longer viewed simply as a problem that leads to dialysis in a small number of patients. It is increasingly recognized as a widespread condition that affects quality of life, increases the risk of other serious illnesses, and places a heavy burden on healthcare systems.
The message from this study is clear. Kidney disease affects hundreds of millions of people, often without warning signs. Greater awareness, earlier testing, and wider access to treatment could prevent many cases from progressing to kidney failure.
Source: NYU Langone Health.
